A woman wary of anything but white is surprised to discover that the consummate colorist Katie Ridder is the ideal designer to reimagine her family's townhouse

Library

Library

When Katie Ridder first met her clients at their townhouse on Manhattan's Upper East Side, the interior designer was greeted at the door by a bloodhound, a black Labrador retriever, and a Labra doodle. Beyond the foyer, two Maine coon cats and a tabby lazed about while a pet rabbit padded around the kitchen.

"We bonded over animals," says Ridder, who that morning had witnessed a robin abandoning the eggs in its nest. "The wife talked about how pets need to be able to roam freely in a house, that no sofa was too precious."

The library of a Manhattan home decorated by Katie Ridder. The sofa and club chair, both by Anthony Lawrence-Belfair, are covered in Holland & Sherry wools, the side table in the corner is one of a pair from Niall Smith Antiques, the camel side table is from John Rosselli Antiques, and the curtains are in a Quadrille fabric; the walls are painted in C2Paint Luxe in Bewilder.

Hall

Hall

Given their brave policy on pets, it makes sense that the couple, parents of three teenage children, chose Ridder to turn the five-bedroom limestone building into a home. Ridder is a native Californian who, despite a long-standing New York address, understands a thing or two about a relaxed vibe. The affable designer is also possessed of a certain fearlessness. She is an intrepid colorist, as fond of peacock blue and emerald green as she is tangerine and lemon yellow.

In a hall, a photograph by Sohei Nishino hangs above a sofa from Lucca Antiques; the rug is an antique Agra.